The Fort is not exactly a festival, nor is it your typical run of the mill show. Taking place at an actual military fort built in 1847, this historic event will be the first of its kind. On April 10th & 11th, Umphrey’s McGee and Lettuce will take over the coastal beach town of Fernandina Beach, Florida for two full nights of music and shenanigans.
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Interestingly enough, Fort Clinch never actually saw battle. This is also the first time this landmark will host a concert of this magnitude. The two day event sold out quickly with only 1348 tickets being released and at $150 a pop, there is a boutique factor surrounding the hype. Each night will kick off with a full set of Lettuce followed by two sets of Umphrey’s McGee. With the scent of the ocean rolling in off the Atlantic, the atmosphere will undoubtedly tap into the exploratory style of Umphrey’s McGee with their trigger happy progressions and aggressive jam style. When this clashes with Lettuce’s funk artillery, it will be an all out musical battle of epic proportions. Expect plenty of bass bombs and military themed covers.
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Camping options have been arranged for the cavalry that will be taking over this quaint coastal beach town. Official camping will be located just a mile or so away from The Fort and is an extra $20 on top of ticket prices, but it includes parking. There are also plenty of hotels in the area, as well as VIP packages that include accommodations. A shuttle will be available to transport folks from the camping area to Fort Clinch State Park where the main event will be taking place.
Late night shows will be held at the Dog Star Tavern, also located in the town of Fernandina Beach. The capacity of this venue is rumored to around 300 people and tickets have already sold out for these intimate shows. The first late night on Friday the 10th will feature Omega Moos, which includes members of Umphrey’s along with keyboarist Jamie Shields of theNEWDEAL. This very special side project attempts to capture the raw energy of 1980’s pop music in a dancy jam fashion, so prepare to get wet. The following late night on Saturday the 11th is being billed as the Fort Clinch Allstars featuring members of both Umphrey’s and Lettuce. Another first of its kind, expect a funky night of tag teamed originals as well as some bust out covers.
Overall, this weekend long event is guaranteed to get people talking, and to be completely honest, we’re thrilled they’ve put such a special flare on the festival algorithm. Music Festival Central is honored to be covering this unique event with two of our favorite artists. You can still score tickets to both The Fort and its late night shows by purchasing a VIP package while they still last.